Podcasts about Great Barrier Reef

Jane Matthews, a tour guide for Overseas Adventure Travel, highlights the wonders of her home country, Australia. The in-depth discussion starts with excellent suggestions for travel Down Under, and about the Aboriginal culture. She goes on to share her expertise about, among many other things: Sydney, Melbourne, the Blue Mountains, Ayers Rock (Uluru), the island of Tasmania, and of course, the Great Barrier Reef.Jane ends with a fond memory, and we finish the interview with the indescribable sounds of a didgeredoo._____Jane Matthews lives in Sydney, Australia, She joined OAT as a guide in 2018.Besides showing off her country, she enjoys traveling, cooking Asian food, Aboriginal history, and sewing._____Podcast host Lea Lane blogs at forbes.com, has traveled to over 100 countries, and  has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember  (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and  'one of the top 100 Indie books' of  the year). She has contributed to many guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles. Contact Lea- she loves hearing from you!  @lealane on Twitter; PlacesIRememberLeaLane on Insta; Places I Remember with Lea Lane on Facebook; Website: placesirememberlealane.com.  New episodes drop every other Tuesday, wherever you listen. Please consider sharing, following, rating and reviewing this award-winning travel podcast. 

Are you a person that flies by the seat of your pants? Do you fly like Maverick in Top Gun where your instincts dominate? This is absolutely cool in the movies, but it kills pilots in real life and the ones that kills are the amateurs and the experienced professionals. It's called spatial disorientation. First, let me give you a definition.Spatial disorientation – It's the inability of a person to determine his true body position, motion, and altitude relative to the Earth or his surroundings. Both airplane pilots and underwater divers encounter this phenomenon. Teresa and I earned our PADI Open Water certifications in July 2001, which allowed us to dive 60 feet. PADI stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors. We then went on an epic adventure in the Fiji Islands to vacation and SCUBA dive the Great Barrier Reef. This is one of the best diving spots on the planet. It was a life-changing experience. We saw incredible tropical fish, puffers, tiger sharks, all kinds of coral, and amazing sea life and creatures. You gain a respect for what's underwater. When a human becomes like a fish, you better respect that environment. We were trained to follow our instruments down to 60 feet, which basically included a buoyancy control device (a BCD), a regulator, a suit, and oxygen tank depth gauge. I learned to trust my depth gauge. It was crucial to follow my instruments as well as use my eyes and ears to decide to go up or down while diving. There's charts you follow so you don't get the bends. There are many more components. I'm just trying to keep it simple. I can remember a few times where I swam up, thinking I was going down. Even worse, I swam down, thinking I was going up. Thankfully, I learned to trust my instruments to correct my positioning under the water. When you are that deep, it is really hard to tell which way is up or down. It's scary, but it's true. I'm so thankful that I was taught to trust my instruments.Here's another example of spatial disorientation. My friend Royce Repka, owner of Double R Flight Academy out of Perkasie, Pennsylvania jumped on a phone call with me to explain the phenomenon of spatial disorientation from the flight instructor point of view. He's been doing this for nearly a decade, and he knows his stuff. So I'll paraphrase."Ken, think of it like this. Humans spend 99.99% of their time on the ground. It seems flat, right!? In reality, we are standing on a curved surface that is spinning and rotating. We can see the ground and we can visually see the horizon. The ground is down and the sky is up. That's obvious. You have reference points."I understood this from personal experience dealing with Lyme disease and vertigo. A physical therapist, who is trained in the inner ear for vertigo taught me that our eyes see the ground and the horizon and it communicates with our inner ear to balance your body in relation to the level of the earth. People with vertigo suffer dizziness because their inner ears are out of whack. Others can even get crystals that dangle in the inner ear. It can trick the senses to give you vertigo even when you're standing straight. And there are techniques that physical therapists can do to remove those crystals.Read the rest of this article at the Smart Cleaning School website

FULL SHOW PODCAST | As our last public holiday for three months disappears into the distance we shift our focus to more important things, like why absolutely no one should surf at Ash's secret Great Barrier Reef atolls or what the 'T' in ATM stands for. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, Issy Warner had dreams of going diving and getting scuba certified. She settled on Belize, home to the largest barrier reef in the Northern hemisphere, and second in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Within the intricate reef reserve system lies the Great Blue Hole, a giant marine sinkhole that was once ranked by the Discovery Channel as the number one on its list of "The 10 Most Amazing Places on Earth". Issy takes us on her journey of discovering the beauty down below as a first-time diver.

Im Osten von Australien häufen sich die Berichte von seltsam aussehenden Geräten, die an der Küste und am berühmten Great Barrier Reef angeschwemmt werden. Naturschützer sind der Sache nun auf den Grund gegangen und haben eine schlaue Lösung gefunden.

Squiz Kids Shortcuts give you and your primary-aged kids the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the big news stories. LINKS: Visit the Great Barrier Reef: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DygyYL4dylU Responsible Reef Practices: https://www2.gbrmpa.gov.au/access/responsible-reef-practices   

We're going down under this episode to explore Australia Vacations for families. Mel Schinkel from Tourism Australia joins us to discuss why the country is an amazing family destination.

Why do clown fish live in sea anemones? Can Nemo really swim to Sydney all the way from Great Barrier Reef? SBS Russian asked marine biologist Maria Schreider to watch "Finding Nemo" and comment on it from a scientific point of view. - Почему рыбы-клоуны живут в актиниях? Сможет ли Немо действительно доплыть до Сиднея? Морской биолог Мария Шрейдер прокомментировала мультфильм «В поисках Немо» с научной точки зрения.

Tim Lamont is a young scientist making waves. Arriving on the Great Barrier Reef after a mass bleaching event, Tim saw his research plans disappear and was personally devastated by the destruction. But from that event he discovered a novel way to restore coral reefs. Playing the sounds of a healthy coral reef entices fish in to recolonise the wrecked reefs. Tim's emotional journey forced him to realise that environmental scientists can no longer just observe. They need to find new prisms with which to view the world and to intervene to save or protect the natural environment.

We would encourage everyone who is financially able to donate to look into Doctors Without Borders or another charitable aid program assisting the survivors of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.Matt and Nick talk about David Malpass resigning as head of the World Bank (Factbox: Who could replace World Bank President David Malpass? | Reuters/),Global fossil fuel subsidies reached $1 trillion in 2022 (Global Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reach All-Time High Of $1 Trillion In 2022, Up Two-Fold Against 2021 (cnbctv18.com)),Australia moves to protect Great Barrier Reef by blocking coal mine (Australia blocks coal mine to protect Great Barrier Reef - BBC News (ampproject.org)),A third earthquake hits Turkey and Syria (At least 3 dead and hundreds injured after a new earthquake hits the Syria-Turkey border (nbcnews.com)),And the five National Parks along the Lake Superior Shoreline will completely decarbonize buildings and vehicles within four years (National parks along Lake Superior to be first to fully decarbonize (ampproject.org))!Make sure to check out our sponsor for today's episode at Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.

On September 4th 2006 Australian zookeeper and wildlife expert Steve Irwin was tragically killed while filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef. Steve had won global notoriety as the ‘Crocodile Hunter', handling deadly snakes, toxic reptiles, and apex predators on programmes watched by an estimated worldwide audience of 500 million. But the world was shocked to learn that, at the age of just 44, the seemingly invincible conservationist, had been killed by a creature not known for being aggressive or dangerous – a stingray. Now, world renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter is investigating what led one of the world's most iconic wildlife experts to be killed by an otherwise docile animal?

On September 4th 2006 Australian zookeeper and wildlife expert Steve Irwin was tragically killed while filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef. Steve had won global notoriety as the ‘Crocodile Hunter', handling deadly snakes, toxic reptiles, and apex predators on programmes watched by an estimated worldwide audience of 500 million. But the world was shocked to learn that, at the age of just 44, the seemingly invincible conservationist, had been killed by a creature not known for being aggressive or dangerous – a stingray. Now, world renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter is investigating what led one of the world's most iconic wildlife experts to be killed by an otherwise docile animal?

How can we use creativity to drive sustainability action on a global scale?On the latest episode of The B-Side with James Barrow - the first for 2023, I had the pleasure of chatting with Mike Spirkovski, the former chief creative officer of Saatchi & Saatchi Australia. He is now the co-founder of Rethink Everything, a creative company that solves complex business problems by integrating creativity and imagination to create positive and sustainable change.Mike shares his experience in the advertising industry, where he developed a passion for creating impactful ideas for good. He discusses how this led him to double down on this journey to co-found Rethink Everything, which provides him access to experts from various fields, such as environmental science, sustainability, marketing, public relations, and politics, allowing him to extend his reach beyond traditional agencies.He explains the Rethink Everything business model and how he is partnering with brands to tackle some of society's most significant challenges. Like Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, spearheading the Great Reef Census campaign, a groundbreaking global citizen science effort to survey and protect the largest reef system in the world.We discuss how organisations can integrate sustainability initiatives into their brand purpose rather than keeping them as part of a separate ESG strategy. And we jam on purpose-driven marketing, measuring the success of sustainability campaigns, the perils of greenwashing, and the need for brands to be authentic in their actions and marketing communications.Mike and the Rethink Everything are committed to making a difference and creating unprecedented, wide-reaching impact. It was a fascinating and inspiring conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Cheers!You can find Mike here: linkedin.com/in/mike-spirkovski-6087a113Learn more about Rethink Everything here: http://rethinkeverything.au/Take part in the Great Reef Census here: https://greatreefcensus.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Rowland is an outdoorsman and legend in the fishing world. He is host of the TV show Saltwater Expereince as well as the Tom Rowland Podcast.We talk Yellowstone Natonal Park, Key West, Wild Country, Grizzly Bears, Hammer Head Sharks, Great Barrier Reef, Christmas Island fishing, bonefish, tarpon, permit, redfish, tout, sight fishing communicating for sucsess, podcasting, ocean flats and more. Subscribe now to Buffalo Roamer Outdoors New Episodes every other Friday www.buffaloroamer.comThis episode brought to you by:Camp Manito-Wish YMCAFor over 100 years Camp Manito-Wish in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin has continued to develop character and strengthen leadership skills of campers and staff through a wilderness based summer camp. Enroll a camper,join the Staff or find out more at www.Manito-Wish.org

Today we discuss how using gas stoves has caused a huge uptick in childhood asthma, how motor memory is developed while we sleep, and how scientists are working to save the larvae of coral reefs! Gasthma“Population Attributable Fraction of Gas Stoves and Childhood Asthma in the United States” by Talor Gruenwald et al.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/75“Gas stove pollution causes 12.7% of childhood asthma, study finds” by Maxine Joselow and Vanessa Montalbanohttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/06/gas-stove-pollution-causes-127-childhood-asthma-study-finds/Sleep Memory “During sleep, brain regions synchronize to create motor memory” by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SAN FRANCISCOhttps://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/974905“Cortical–hippocampal coupling during manifold exploration in motor cortex” by Jaekyung Kim et al.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05533-zFrozen Reefs “Scientists freeze Great Barrier Reef coral in world-first trial” By Jill Gralowhttps://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/scientists-freeze-great-barrier-reef-coral-world-first-trial-2022-12-19/“Scientists pioneer ‘game-changing' freezing technique that could save the Great Barrier Reef's coral” by Charlotte Eltonhttps://www.euronews.com/green/2022/12/19/scientists-pioneer-game-changing-freezing-technique-that-could-save-the-great-barrier-reef“Scientists Freeze Great Barrier Reef Coral” by GKTodayhttps://www.gktoday.in/topic/scientists-freeze-great-barrier-reef-coral/“What is coral bleaching?” by National Ocean Servicehttps://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html“SCIENTISTS HAVE MADE A HUGE BREAKTHROUGH IN CRYOGENICS” by June Javelosahttps://futurism.com/neoscope/4-scientists-have-found-a-way-to-rapidly-thaw-cryopreserved-tissue-without-damageFollow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.Find episode transcripts here: 

What's Up With Water - your need-to-know news of the world's water from Circle of Blue. A new report from the United Nations highlights the environmental factors that produce deadly, drug-resistant pathogens. In Australia, the government has refused to allow a pair of open-pit coal mines because of their potential to harm to local sources of fresh water and damage the Great Barrier Reef. In the United States, the largest city in Ohio is taking a low-carbon approach to protect its water supply system from extreme weather.

I've heard it said that pessimists sound smart, but optimists make money. In episode 17 released this last July, I shared the case for why we should be optimistic about the future. In this episode of the One for the Money Podcast, at the beginning of a year when many believe we will see a recession, I make an additional case for why we should remain optimistic. In the tips, tricks, and strategies portion, I share a tip on how to ensure you can earn the most interest on your savings and how most Americans are not. In this episode...Acknowledging 2022 [01:21]Advancements in the last century [03:52]The progress of human well-being [12:05]Earning more interest on savings [14:40]Don't be stuck in 2022If you read or watch the news, you would be forgiven for thinking that much is not right in the world. 2022 provided quite a bit of negative material. Investment returns were historically bad. Stocks faced the 7th worst loss since the 1920s, and particularly shocking was that the bond markets suffered too. Bonds historically have been a safe haven, with only four previous down years in the last forty-six that were down less than 3%. But in 2022, the bond market was down 13%. 2022 was the third worst year ever for a stock/bond portfolio.2022's stock and bond performance, coupled with the forecast for the year ahead, can make us feel less optimistic about the future. However, the narrow focus on the last and current year can cause us to forget about the unmistakable and remarkable progress humanity has made and will continue to make. Progress in the last centuryIn the past 20 years, global poverty rates have been reduced by 50%. A hundred years ago, three-quarters of the world's population lived in extreme poverty; today, that number is less than 10%. Just 24% of people had modern sanitation, but now 70% of the world does. Murders are down roughly 17% over the last 25 years or so. The number of deaths due to wars and genocide is also down dramatically. Today, child mortality is at the lowest it has ever been. Human life expectancy has doubled over the past century from 36 years in 1920 to more than 72 years today. Even the environment has had many improvements in the last century. In 1920, the deadliest environmental problem, pollution, was four times more likely to kill you in 1920 than today. In the 1920s, half a million people were killed by weather disasters, whereas the death toll in the last decade averaged 18,000. A decade ago, environmentalists declared that Australia's Great Barrier Reef was nearly dead, killed by bleaching caused by warming ocean temperatures. This year, scientists revealed that two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef shows the highest coral cover since records began in 1985.Big banks vs. savings accountsBig banks still pay nearly nothing on savings, but their customers aren't moving much of that money to higher-yielding alternatives. As a result, Americans are missing out on billions of dollars in interest. The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates to their highest level since early 2008, yet the most prominent commercial banks still pay peanuts to savers. In theory, savers could have earned $42 billion more in interest in the third quarter of 2022 had they moved their money out of the five largest U.S. banks and deposited it into the five highest-yielding savings accounts.Those five big banks, Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan, US Bank, and Wells Fargo, paid an average of 0.4% interest on consumer deposits in savings and money market accounts during this most recent quarter. The five highest-yielding savings accounts paid an average of 2.14% during the same period, according to data from bankrate.com. The five banks collectively hold about half the money kept at U.S. commercial banks.Why haven't savers moved their money? Some customers aren't aware of

Ist das hier das Paradies? Unendlich schöne Strände, die Tropen direkt dahinter und vor uns eines der größten Natur-Spektakel dieser Erde: das Great Barrier Reef. Tausende Kilometer Korallen-Riff, Millionen bunte Fische, die wir in dieser Folge besuchen dürfen, und wie auch ihr all das bestmöglich und nachhaltig erleben könnt, erfahrt ihr jetzt. Plus Podcaster in Neopren-Anzügen (!!!), riesige Spinnen, rauchende Pilze und knallgrüne Frösche bei Nacht. Und als sei das alles noch nicht genug, nehmen wir euch mit in Küstenorte, in denen man schlicht und einfach leben möchte. Mega Restaurants, Weltklasse-Frühstück, hochentspannte Menschen und eine Mentalität, die alles irgendwie ein bisschen leichter macht. Warum auch nicht, wenn das beste, was Mutter Natur zu bieten hat, praktisch vor der Haustür liegt. Liebes Australien, Queensland ist vielleicht dein allerschönstes Kind. Wir durften es Ober- und Unterwasser bereisen und schenken euch hier all unsere Erlebnisse - von tief bewegt bis laut lachend -, plus die besten Wege, das auch zu erleben, sowie einen Roadtrip-Tipp aus dem Bilderbuch. Diese Folge entstand mit freundlicher Unterstützung von Tourism Australia. Werbung: Unser Partner in dieser Folge ist: Die Bergischen Drei – die Tourismusregion Remscheid, Solingen, Wuppertal, in der Ihr Urlaub vor der Haustür genießen könnt. Die Region bietet vielseitige Möglichkeiten rund um Kultur, Natur und Genießen und ist damit perfekt geeignet für Tagesausflüge, Tagungen oder einen Kurtrip. Dieses Vorhaben wurde aus Mitteln des Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung (EFRE) gefördert. App: https://pwa.bergisch-mal-drei.de; Website: https://www.bergisch-mal-drei.de/ ACHTUNG: REISEN REISEN - das BUCH! Erscheint am 23.2.2023. Mit unseren spannendsten, skurrilsten und lustigsten Reise-Erlebnissen - im Malik Verlag. Vor-Reservierungen sind überall möglich, erreichen euch garantiert am allerersten Tag und hier sogar mit persönlicher Widmung: https://www.einzigundartig.de/detail/index/sArticle/17448/sCategory/24 Wir gehen auf TOUR! Erkunde LIVE mit uns die Welt, höre die besten Reise-Geschichten, stelle unverschämte Fragen und sei Teil einer Live-Podcast-Folge: 7. März in Köln, 24. April in Frankfurt, 25. April in München, 26. April in Berlin und am 27.4. in Leipzig. Tickets gibt es an allen VVK-Stellen und online!

Learn about the Seven Wonders of the Natural World: The Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, Aurora Borealis, Rio Harbour, Victoria Falls, Paricutin Volcano, and The Great Barrier Reef. 

Marine biologist Maria Schreider explained to SBS Russian what exactly threatens the Great Barrier Reef, how it can be saved, what can be done by ordinary citizens, and what any of this has to do with the Tom Sawyer effect. - Морской биолог Мария Шрейдер в разговоре с SBS Russian объясняет, что именно угрожает Большому Барьерному Рифу, как его можно спасти, что может сделать любой австралиец и причем тут метод Тома Сойера.

Corals are facing a ton of challenges in the form of human disturbances and the potential loss of corals and coral reefs will devastate 25% of the species that depend on reefs for their survival. But there are efforts to protect and restore populations in the face of challenges such as climate change, water pollution, coastal development, and over-fishing. An organization called the Great Barrier Reef Legacy, based in Australia is working to do a different type of preservation. the organization wants to collect and preserve every species of coral in the Great Barrier Reef along with the genetic diversity of each coral species. The offsite facility that will house the species will act to stabilize their existence in case the wild populations are threatened with extinction and could act as brooding colonies for restoration purposes.   Article: http://bit.ly/3JyZOW1   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc 

Before we start, let me apologise for being a week late with this one – and part two of my conversation with my Saudi friend, “J”. But there's a good reason for that: The screen on my MacBook stopped working – again. You might remember that I broke it when I was in Uganda less than a year ago. At that time, there was a small crack on it. This time I did nothing. It simply just stopped working. Nobody knows why. I had it replaced in March in Denmark, so only ten months ago. The Apple warranty only covers 90 days, but the Danish consumer law would give me 12 months. The only thing is that I'm not in Denmark. In fact, I'm halfway across the planet, so it was not an option for me to travel back to get it fixed. And the price of a new screen is more than a thousand dollars or Euros. So, I called Apple Support and was put through to a senior supporter who, after an hour, made an exemption. They would pay for the screen, and I only had to pay for the labour to the authorised computer repair shop in Cairns, Australia. So, while I was scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, they worked on it. Now it's back, and so are the next episodes from Saudi Arabia. When I left you, I was in Al-Ula, where we start in this one. AL ULA: WHERE CULTURE MEETS NATURE I'm travelling with my good friend Cynthia from Florida. We're in the north-western part of Saudi Arabia in the town of Al Ula. It is a stunning area, one I would like to return to later and spend a couple more days in. We're only here two nights, and today we have a full day where we're trying to see if we can get a helicopter ride and hopefully also visit the world's biggest mirror building. Al Ula – like all of Saudi Arabia, still remains largely off the global tourism radar, giving us plenty of space and time for reflection with the vast desert and the monumentality of its natural assets. You heard me in the latest episode tell you about the stunning natural rock formations and canyons, but there are also a ton of adventure sports options and cutting-edge art installations. MEETING A HIP SAUDI WOMAN In the morning headed straight to the vendor street located immediately above the "Old Town" of Al Ula to find a place for breakfast. The street is above the ancient city and looks new, but the construction of the shops and restaurants mirrors the style of Old Town. There were only a dozen tourists as we strolled the street around 10 am. Again, we have it to ourselves. There was a small booth where the young girl, Dalal, was selling trips for an adventure company, Husaak Adventures. She was dressed in jeans and hiking boots and had no hair covering. Even though she didn't look and sound like the typical Saudi woman, she was: born and raised in Al Ula. Dalal spoke freely about how Saudi has been actively changing for five years, and she feels it is for the best and that it will benefit all citizens. She really looks like the next generation of Saudi Arabia. Her colleague was a young man wearing a t-shirt saying “Change in Progress” on the back. After our chat with Dalal, we were settled in for breakfast at Palm Garden Cafe in a Bedouin-style seating area with big couches in a private 'outdoor' room just for us. AL ULA OLD TOWN After breakfast, we left the vendor street and walked down to the original Al Ula Old Town with 1300 mud brick structures that are remarkably intact. Al Ula is one of the oldest cities in the Arabian Peninsula, and once at the crossroads of The Silk Road and The Incense Route, Al Ula is rich in historical significance. In the 12th century, Al Ula Old Town became an essential settlement along the pilgrimage route from Damascus to Mecca. It's built on a slight elevation, and the town is overlooked by the Musa bin Nusayr Castle, a citadel dating back to the 10th century. NO HELICOPTER After leaving Old Town, we went to the office selling helicopter flights over Al Ula. We had a few questions for the nice woman selling the trips, like “are we guaranteed a window seat”. She didn't know and said, “I just sell the tickets”. But then we discovered that the next available flight was the next day at 5 pm, and we knew we had to do that another time, as we would be leaving the next morning. MARAYA MIRROR BUILDING Instead, we decided to make the drive out to a unique building in the desert called Maraya. Maraya means mirror or reflection in Arabic, which celebrates Al Ula's significant role in history as a crossroads of cultures for centuries. The building is the Guinness World Record Holder as the largest mirrored building in the world. You cannot see Maraya from the road. And although we heard that there was a major star doing a concert that evening in the area around the building – and entry even to the grounds was unlikely today with the concert, we decided to try our luck. We got to the guard building and access gate, and sure enough, we couldn't get in. While I was waiting in the Cynthia tried to charm us inside. And I'm not sure how but she succeeded. Maraya is a truly breathtaking structure. As the largest mirrored building in the world, it stands as a testament to the country's forward-thinking approach to architecture and design. The building's unique reflective exterior is made out of thousands of individual panels, each one carefully placed to create a mesmerising optical illusion. The result is a structure that appears to change with the movement of the sun and the sky, creating an ever-changing visual experience for those who take the time to admire it. Inside, the building houses a concert hall, exhibition spaces, and a state-of-the-art auditorium. The mirrored building is covered by almost 10,000 m² of the mirrored facade (that's almost 105,000 ft²) and was opened in December 2019. It's located just north of Al Ula. Make sure you try to get in there if you're in Al Ula. And make sure you go and see my pictures of it on theradiovagabond.com. DIGITAL NOMAD CHECK Saudi Arabia may still not be the ideal destination for digital nomads, but that being said, the country does have a number of modern cities with good infrastructure and a high standard of living, such as Riyadh and Jeddah. However, it is important to remember that Saudi Arabia has a conservative culture and social norms that may differ from those in other countries. It is important to respect local customs and laws and to be mindful of your actions and behaviours while living in Saudi Arabia. Suppose you are considering living and working as a digital nomad in Saudi Arabia. In that case, it is advisable to research the country thoroughly and make sure you understand the local laws and customs before making any decisions. It may also be helpful to reach out to other digital nomads who have experience living in Saudi Arabia to get their perspectives. On the plus side: It's a safe and modern country, with decent internet speed in most places. On the downside: It's not exactly cheap but not that expensive either. A lot more expensive than Thailand and a lot cheaper than say, Copenhagen. Around the same price level as Lisbon, which is the third most popular digital nomad hotspot, according to NomadList.com, as of this recording. So, Saudi Arabia may still not be the most popular destination for digital nomads, but I could see it being attractive in the future. GETTING STUCK IN THE SAND … AGAIN Dalan had suggested that we go where the locals go for sunset to "Wadi Rum;" she even found it for us on Google Maps. We followed two local 4x4 trucks into the area along one of the sandy 'paths', easily enough. We separated from them at a large, flat area (let's call it a flood plain without water, surrounded by dunes that are backed by dramatic mountains). There were maybe ten cars, as far as we could see, in a very large area. We climbed a dune to watch the sunset, which was not dramatic. A man in a Toyota truck was having a lot of fun “dune bashing” (driving crazy in the sand dunes) and got badly stuck. I went down to help him out of the sand while Cynthia had fun sliding down the sand dunes on a piece of plastic she found. After that, she wanted to have some more fun driving crazy round patterns and testing the car on the flood plain. But by then, it was getting dark, and we needed to head out. I got behind the wheel and headed towards two trucks on the north side of the flood plain, as we thought we could get out there. But we were wrong. In the episode, you can hear the sound of what happens when you get stuck in the soft sand in Saudi Arabia. Psssssssst. It is the tires of our car being deflated by some locals. As soon as we got stuck, three Saudi men from the trucks came running and helped deflate the car tires and push to get our car unstuck. Apparently, it's much easier to get out with flat tires, and all of them had a little tool in their pockets to do that. After we got out, they showed us where to go further east in the floodplain to exit safely. As we got back to the pavement, the sky exploded in colour. Truly a dramatic end to an amazing day. GETTING FREE AIR BACK The first thing the next morning, before the drive of the day, we needed to get some air back in the tires. We went to a garage because we couldn't find any air at the gas stations in town. I insisted on paying for it, but the nice guys insisted it was free. All the time, we were meeting nice people in Saudi Arabia. They all want to help and talk to us. And not being able to speak English never seem to be a problem. There's just a curiosity and an interest in who these foreigners are. With the tires refilled, we left scenic Al Ula to drive the 365 km (close to 230 miles) to Yanbu on the Red Sea. There is very little traffic – not just today, but really since we left Riyadh four days earlier. Technically it's just a four-and-a-half-hour drive, but we enjoyed the changing scenery all day and made plenty of stops so it to us 5-6 hours to reach Yanbu. At first, it's volcanic mountains with loose black rock. There are small towns, but nothing large. Mostly, they look poor and half-built. A few towns appear to have grand entrances with trees and pavers on fancy divided lanes – one town had a sign for the "Saudi 2030" campaign. In the afternoon, we got a view of Big Jagged Mountains – twice the size of those in the foreground. When we're 30 minutes from Yanbu, the mountains disappear as we come towards the coastline. And just after 5 pm, arrived at Yanbu Beach to watch the sunset before checking in at our hotel for the night. Small groups of friends and families had pulled their cars up to the Red Sea edge. It was a common sight throughout Saudi that small groups always have a carpet and pot of tea for a cosy time after work. NEXT ON THE RADIO VAGABOND That's all we have time for in this episode of The Radio Vagabond. We have part two of the interview with my Saudi friend “J” on Thursday, and then we have another travel episode next Tuesday. In that one, we're going to Jeddah, after a stop in beautiful Yanbu at the Red Sea, and stay with a local and look at a very special construction site standing still. And then, head back to Riyadh to visit The Camel Festival and have a look at some beautiful camels entering the Camel Beauty Contest. My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving.

Before we start, let me apologise for being a week late with this one – and part two of my conversation with my Saudi friend, “J”. But there's a good reason for that: The screen on my MacBook stopped working – again. You might remember that I broke it when I was in Uganda less than a year ago. At that time, there was a small crack on it. This time I did nothing. It simply just stopped working. Nobody knows why. I had it replaced in March in Denmark, so only ten months ago. The Apple warranty only covers 90 days, but the Danish consumer law would give me 12 months. The only thing is that I'm not in Denmark. In fact, I'm halfway across the planet, so it was not an option for me to travel back to get it fixed. And the price of a new screen is more than a thousand dollars or Euros. So, I called Apple Support and was put through to a senior supporter who, after an hour, made an exemption. They would pay for the screen, and I only had to pay for the labour to the authorised computer repair shop in Cairns, Australia. So, while I was scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, they worked on it. Now it's back, and so are the next episodes from Saudi Arabia. When I left you, I was in Al-Ula, where we start in this one. AL ULA: WHERE CULTURE MEETS NATURE I'm travelling with my good friend Cynthia from Florida. We're in the north-western part of Saudi Arabia in the town of Al Ula. It is a stunning area, one I would like to return to later and spend a couple more days in. We're only here two nights, and today we have a full day where we're trying to see if we can get a helicopter ride and hopefully also visit the world's biggest mirror building. Al Ula – like all of Saudi Arabia, still remains largely off the global tourism radar, giving us plenty of space and time for reflection with the vast desert and the monumentality of its natural assets. You heard me in the latest episode tell you about the stunning natural rock formations and canyons, but there are also a ton of adventure sports options and cutting-edge art installations. MEETING A HIP SAUDI WOMAN In the morning headed straight to the vendor street located immediately above the "Old Town" of Al Ula to find a place for breakfast. The street is above the ancient city and looks new, but the construction of the shops and restaurants mirrors the style of Old Town. There were only a dozen tourists as we strolled the street around 10 am. Again, we have it to ourselves. There was a small booth where the young girl, Dalal, was selling trips for an adventure company, Husaak Adventures. She was dressed in jeans and hiking boots and had no hair covering. Even though she didn't look and sound like the typical Saudi woman, she was: born and raised in Al Ula. Dalal spoke freely about how Saudi has been actively changing for five years, and she feels it is for the best and that it will benefit all citizens. She really looks like the next generation of Saudi Arabia. Her colleague was a young man wearing a t-shirt saying “Change in Progress” on the back. After our chat with Dalal, we were settled in for breakfast at Palm Garden Cafe in a Bedouin-style seating area with big couches in a private 'outdoor' room just for us. AL ULA OLD TOWN After breakfast, we left the vendor street and walked down to the original Al Ula Old Town with 1300 mud brick structures that are remarkably intact. Al Ula is one of the oldest cities in the Arabian Peninsula, and once at the crossroads of The Silk Road and The Incense Route, Al Ula is rich in historical significance. In the 12th century, Al Ula Old Town became an essential settlement along the pilgrimage route from Damascus to Mecca. It's built on a slight elevation, and the town is overlooked by the Musa bin Nusayr Castle, a citadel dating back to the 10th century. NO HELICOPTER After leaving Old Town, we went to the office selling helicopter flights over Al Ula. We had a few questions for the nice woman selling the trips, like “are we guaranteed a window seat”. She didn't know and said, “I just sell the tickets”. But then we discovered that the next available flight was the next day at 5 pm, and we knew we had to do that another time, as we would be leaving the next morning. MARAYA MIRROR BUILDING Instead, we decided to make the drive out to a unique building in the desert called Maraya. Maraya means mirror or reflection in Arabic, which celebrates Al Ula's significant role in history as a crossroads of cultures for centuries. The building is the Guinness World Record Holder as the largest mirrored building in the world. You cannot see Maraya from the road. And although we heard that there was a major star doing a concert that evening in the area around the building – and entry even to the grounds was unlikely today with the concert, we decided to try our luck. We got to the guard building and access gate, and sure enough, we couldn't get in. While I was waiting in the Cynthia tried to charm us inside. And I'm not sure how but she succeeded. Maraya is a truly breathtaking structure. As the largest mirrored building in the world, it stands as a testament to the country's forward-thinking approach to architecture and design. The building's unique reflective exterior is made out of thousands of individual panels, each one carefully placed to create a mesmerising optical illusion. The result is a structure that appears to change with the movement of the sun and the sky, creating an ever-changing visual experience for those who take the time to admire it. Inside, the building houses a concert hall, exhibition spaces, and a state-of-the-art auditorium. The mirrored building is covered by almost 10,000 m² of the mirrored facade (that's almost 105,000 ft²) and was opened in December 2019. It's located just north of Al Ula. Make sure you try to get in there if you're in Al Ula. And make sure you go and see my pictures of it on theradiovagabond.com. DIGITAL NOMAD CHECK Saudi Arabia may still not be the ideal destination for digital nomads, but that being said, the country does have a number of modern cities with good infrastructure and a high standard of living, such as Riyadh and Jeddah. However, it is important to remember that Saudi Arabia has a conservative culture and social norms that may differ from those in other countries. It is important to respect local customs and laws and to be mindful of your actions and behaviours while living in Saudi Arabia. Suppose you are considering living and working as a digital nomad in Saudi Arabia. In that case, it is advisable to research the country thoroughly and make sure you understand the local laws and customs before making any decisions. It may also be helpful to reach out to other digital nomads who have experience living in Saudi Arabia to get their perspectives. On the plus side: It's a safe and modern country, with decent internet speed in most places. On the downside: It's not exactly cheap but not that expensive either. A lot more expensive than Thailand and a lot cheaper than say, Copenhagen. Around the same price level as Lisbon, which is the third most popular digital nomad hotspot, according to NomadList.com, as of this recording. So, Saudi Arabia may still not be the most popular destination for digital nomads, but I could see it being attractive in the future. GETTING STUCK IN THE SAND … AGAIN Dalan had suggested that we go where the locals go for sunset to "Wadi Rum;" she even found it for us on Google Maps. We followed two local 4x4 trucks into the area along one of the sandy 'paths', easily enough. We separated from them at a large, flat area (let's call it a flood plain without water, surrounded by dunes that are backed by dramatic mountains). There were maybe ten cars, as far as we could see, in a very large area. We climbed a dune to watch the sunset, which was not dramatic. A man in a Toyota truck was having a lot of fun “dune bashing” (driving crazy in the sand dunes) and got badly stuck. I went down to help him out of the sand while Cynthia had fun sliding down the sand dunes on a piece of plastic she found. After that, she wanted to have some more fun driving crazy round patterns and testing the car on the flood plain. But by then, it was getting dark, and we needed to head out. I got behind the wheel and headed towards two trucks on the north side of the flood plain, as we thought we could get out there. But we were wrong. In the episode, you can hear the sound of what happens when you get stuck in the soft sand in Saudi Arabia. Psssssssst. It is the tires of our car being deflated by some locals. As soon as we got stuck, three Saudi men from the trucks came running and helped deflate the car tires and push to get our car unstuck. Apparently, it's much easier to get out with flat tires, and all of them had a little tool in their pockets to do that. After we got out, they showed us where to go further east in the floodplain to exit safely. As we got back to the pavement, the sky exploded in colour. Truly a dramatic end to an amazing day. GETTING FREE AIR BACK The first thing the next morning, before the drive of the day, we needed to get some air back in the tires. We went to a garage because we couldn't find any air at the gas stations in town. I insisted on paying for it, but the nice guys insisted it was free. All the time, we were meeting nice people in Saudi Arabia. They all want to help and talk to us. And not being able to speak English never seem to be a problem. There's just a curiosity and an interest in who these foreigners are. With the tires refilled, we left scenic Al Ula to drive the 365 km (close to 230 miles) to Yanbu on the Red Sea. There is very little traffic – not just today, but really since we left Riyadh four days earlier. Technically it's just a four-and-a-half-hour drive, but we enjoyed the changing scenery all day and made plenty of stops so it to us 5-6 hours to reach Yanbu. At first, it's volcanic mountains with loose black rock. There are small towns, but nothing large. Mostly, they look poor and half-built. A few towns appear to have grand entrances with trees and pavers on fancy divided lanes – one town had a sign for the "Saudi 2030" campaign. In the afternoon, we got a view of Big Jagged Mountains – twice the size of those in the foreground. When we're 30 minutes from Yanbu, the mountains disappear as we come towards the coastline. And just after 5 pm, arrived at Yanbu Beach to watch the sunset before checking in at our hotel for the night. Small groups of friends and families had pulled their cars up to the Red Sea edge. It was a common sight throughout Saudi that small groups always have a carpet and pot of tea for a cosy time after work. NEXT ON THE RADIO VAGABOND That's all we have time for in this episode of The Radio Vagabond. We have part two of the interview with my Saudi friend “J” on Thursday, and then we have another travel episode next Tuesday. In that one, we're going to Jeddah, after a stop in beautiful Yanbu at the Red Sea, and stay with a local and look at a very special construction site standing still. And then, head back to Riyadh to visit The Camel Festival and have a look at some beautiful camels entering the Camel Beauty Contest. My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving.

Here are ten minutes where I tell you what's been going on in my nomad life. I've made my way to Cairns in the northeastern part of Australia. It's been two weeks since my latest diary entry – and there's a reason for that: My MacBook screen went black. You can also hear me talking about going scuba diving in The Great Barrier Reef.

Her er en 10 minutters dagbog om, hvad der er sket denne uge i mit nomadeliv. Jeg er kommet til Cairns in den nordøstlige del af Australien. Der er gået to uger siden min seneste dagbog, men det er det en god grund til. Min MacBook skærm gik i sort. Du kan også høre mig fortælle om mine fantastiske dyk i Great Barrier Reef.

Adam heads to the Great Barrier Reef to talk to an Athenian sea sponge (the great Claire McFadden) about the difference between a fish and a buoy, the secrets of reproduction, and a massacre of an entire family in this Finding Nemo themed episode. For more with Claire check out an extended interview while supporting the show over on our Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/myneighborsaredead SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @MyDeadNeighbors Instagram: @MyNeighborsAreDead Email: MyNeighborsAreDead@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/myneighborsaredead Merchandise: TeePublic Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

1. Climate Change Fiction (part 3): Peter May & Paul Hardisty tell We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan about bringing our climate emergency into mainstream popular fiction. Peter May's new crime thriller A Winter Grave (published by riverrun), & is set in Scotland in 2051. Paul Hardisty's adventure thriller The Forcing (published by Orenda Books), & is set in a future when younger voters turn on the older generation they blame for destroying our world. Do we need the authors of popular genre fiction to include climate emergency themes in their fiction? Lots of us ignore the science of climate change, so are stories which appeal to our imagination the way to get the message across? Do authors have a duty to reflect climate change, or does the creative heart rebel against being told what to do? Why don't more authors do it already? Is our looming climate catastrophe just too bleak? Too difficult? Do readers need happier endings? Do agents & publishers? How should authors get the balance right between waking readers up and scaring them into despairing inaction? And how do you wrap it all up in exciting, enjoyable stories? Peter May is the bestselling author of thrillers series set in Scotland, France & China - as well as prescient standalone thrillers, like Lockdown, which predicted the pandemic lockdown. We've delved into his past already on We'd Like A Word, but had to have him back (the first time we've done this with a guest) when he came out of retirement to lead the literary vanguard trying to communicate with big audiences about climate change in a new way. He's also released an anthem by the Peter May Band to accompany A Winter Grave. You'll hear it on the show - Don't Burn The World. (Co-written by Dennis McCoy.) You can stream it on the usual music platforms & watch the YouTube video here: Don't Burn the World - The Peter May Band - YouTube You can also hear Peter's previous surreal episode involving being hired as a private detective by giant geckos here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/9UHL9sCCPwb Paul Hardisty lives by Australia's Great Barrier Reef. He got there from Canada via a bewildering series of steps through the world's trouble zones, including, in November, Ukraine. As a leading environmental scientist, engineer & lobbyist of politicians, he knows how urgent it is for people to wake up on climate change. We also talk about Amitav Ghosh; resurrecting the book in your drawer that you thought would never get published; The Rig on Amazon Prime; Kate Raworth & Doughnut Economics; & Negeley Farson & The Way of a Transgressor. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul & Steve & our guests. We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we are embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. And if you're still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the new comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.

Today TMO speaks with Martijn Wilder Founder and CEO of Pollination, which is a specialist climate change investment and advisory firm, accelerating the transition to a net zero, nature positive future. Martijn is recognized as a global leader in climate law and investment and has advised governments and companies on innovative climate finance investments. Pollination along with HSBC and Climate Asset Management just raised $650M for #naturalcapital. The funds will invest in agriculture, forestry and environmental assets, while a nature-based carbon strategy will seek to create a pipeline of high-quality carbon credits for companies trying to reach net-zero emissions. This episode is part of the RWA x ReFi Report which is made possible by the Climate Collective (https://climatecollective.org) and brought to you by .basin (https://basin.global) In this episode: 00:00 Real World Assets for Regenerative Finance 01:36 climate justice, natural capital 01:51 recognized global leader in climate law #climatefinance #naturalcapital #biodiversityfinance 03:03 real estate and natural capital 
03:06 climate sprint - ecosystem services & co-benefits and carbon removal which resulted in the core benefits label 03:24 pollination name 05:12 investment platforms in nature space; we don't have any other choice at this point but to invest in nature, protect nature, conserve nature, restore nature
05:48 trillions of dollars into nature. 06:15 nature valuation 06:39 TNFD 06:57 biodiversity 07:27 carbon markets 07:36 nature and natural capital 08:15 nature-based activities (NbS; NCS); greenhouse gases GHG's 08:24 compliance markets v voluntary markets 08:54 payments for ecosystem services (PES) 9:18 additionality & permanence 11:03 trillions of dollars needed to restore nature 11:30 deforestation; biodiversity loss 12:03 the global south; least developed countries 
 12:45 fund the nature crisis; regenerative finance ReFi 13:09 Paulson Report; Financing for Nature 13:24 mass extinction crisis 
 13:30 Dasgupta Review: Economics of Biodiversity 13:39 we need trillions of dollars to invest in nature 14:18 the economics are just wrong 
14:27 legal mechanisms to drive investment into nature 14:33 put real value on nature; natural capital accounting 15:21 nature is not just a public good, it's a key part of the supply chain 15:27 Task Force for Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and Task Force for Climate related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) 15:57 natural capital accounts 
 16:30 nature value; nature risk 16:57 natural capital reports; sustainability reports
17:30 Great Barrier Reef. 18:03 immediate costs v. Long term solutions 18:18 nitrogen and phosphate 
 18:28 natural capital markets, ecosystem markets 18:33 upstream or downstream 18:57 circular economy 19:06 landscape approach, 19:21 ecosystem approach; connectivity 20:00 agriculture, beef, ag tourism, mangroves, 20:24 One Earth bioregions 2020, bioregionalism, local currencies, natural capital backed currencies 21:21 water is a huge part of the carbon cycle, carbon tunnel vision 21:30 holistic lens, biodiversity, water quality, water quantity, habitat 21:39 nature incubator; emission reductions 22:51 nature-based carbon projects; Nature Based Solutions NbS; Natural Climate Solutions NCS 23:54 nature investment; nature value; nature credit; metric to measure biodiversity; watershed protection, species 
 24:24 nature baseline 24:30 nature offsets 26:57 invest in nature and restoration projects 27:06 nature itself is a public good 28:12 ReFi community or the regenerative finance community; crypto and blockchain 30:21 how do you measure that ton of nature? 30:39 gamification to fund on the ground protection 31:00 Metaverse to fund nature 
 31:30 MRV; ground truth 31:39 blockchain, legitimacy, trust, transparency 31:42 scope one, two, and three 32:09 IETA - International Emissions Trading 32:12 blockchain tokenization of carbon 33:36 land is real estate and carbon is real estate and ecosystems is real estate 34:00 real estate developments 34:06 buildings and embodied carbon; operational carbon 35:09 integrated development with biodiversity and nature 36:06 built environment carbon 
 36:33 cost of urban heat and urban heat islands 37:03 bushfires, wildfires, risk; climate resilience, climate adaptation 38:06 Navigating a Nature Positive Future 38:48 nature positive; nature risk; the critical importance of indigenous communities to nature
39:00 indigenous groups are the custodians of nature 39:27 nature positive; climate positive 41:45 natural capital 42:06 nature-loss problem: nature crisis 42:15 World Economic Forum (WEF): New Nature Economy 43:33 Collaboration & Cooperation are key https://pollinationgroup.com https://beta.basin.global/ .basin is perpetual place-based climate and nature finance. .basin scales land, ecosystem, and carbon sink restoration and conservation to solve the climate, nature, and carbon crises.

2. Climate Change Fiction (part 2): Peter May & Paul Hardisty tell We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan about bringing our climate emergency into mainstream popular fiction. Peter May's new crime thriller A Winter Grave (published by riverrun), & is set in Scotland in 2051. Paul Hardisty's adventure thriller The Forcing (published by Orenda Books), & is set in a future when younger voters turn on the older generation they blame for destroying our world. Do we need the authors of popular genre fiction to include climate emergency themes in their fiction? Lots of us ignore the science of climate change, so are stories which appeal to our imagination the way to get the message across? Do authors have a duty to reflect climate change, or does the creative heart rebel against being told what to do? Why don't more authors do it already? Is our looming climate catastrophe just too bleak? Too difficult? Do readers need happier endings? Do agents & publishers? How should authors get the balance right between waking readers up and scaring them into despairing inaction? And how do you wrap it all up in exciting, enjoyable stories? Peter May is the bestselling author of thrillers series set in Scotland, France & China - as well as prescient standalone thrillers, like Lockdown, which predicted the pandemic lockdown. We've delved into his past already on We'd Like A Word, but had to have him back (the first time we've done this with a guest) when he came out of retirement to lead the literary vanguard trying to communicate with big audiences about climate change in a new way. He's also released an anthem by the Peter May Band to accompany A Winter Grave. You'll hear it on the show - Don't Burn The World. (Co-written by Dennis McCoy.) You can stream it on the usual music platforms & watch the YouTube video here: Don't Burn the World - The Peter May Band - YouTube You can also hear Peter's previous surreal episode involving being hired as a private detective by giant geckos here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/9UHL9sCCPwb Paul Hardisty lives by Australia's Great Barrier Reef. He got there from Canada via a bewildering series of steps through the world's trouble zones, including, in November, Ukraine. As a leading environmental scientist, engineer & lobbyist of politicians, he knows how urgent it is for people to wake up on climate change. We also talk about Amitav Ghosh; resurrecting the book in your drawer that you thought would never get published; The Rig on Amazon Prime; Kate Raworth & Doughnut Economics; & Negeley Farson & The Way of a Transgressor. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul & Steve & our guests. We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we are embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. And if you're still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the new comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.

3. Climate Change Fiction (part 1): Peter May & Paul Hardisty tell We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan about bringing our climate emergency into mainstream popular fiction. Peter May's new crime thriller A Winter Grave (published by riverrun), & is set in Scotland in 2051. Paul Hardisty's adventure thriller The Forcing (published by Orenda Books), & is set in a future when younger voters turn on the older generation they blame for destroying our world. Do we need the authors of popular genre fiction to include climate emergency themes in their fiction? Lots of us ignore the science of climate change, so are stories which appeal to our imagination the way to get the message across? Do authors have a duty to reflect climate change, or does the creative heart rebel against being told what to do? Why don't more authors do it already? Is our looming climate catastrophe just too bleak? Too difficult? Do readers need happier endings? Do agents & publishers? How should authors get the balance right between waking readers up and scaring them into despairing inaction? And how do you wrap it all up in exciting, enjoyable stories? Peter May is the bestselling author of thrillers series set in Scotland, France & China - as well as prescient standalone thrillers, like Lockdown, which predicted the pandemic lockdown. We've delved into his past already on We'd Like A Word, but had to have him back (the first time we've done this with a guest) when he came out of retirement to lead the literary vanguard trying to communicate with big audiences about climate change in a new way. He's also released an anthem by the Peter May Band to accompany A Winter Grave. You'll hear it on the show - Don't Burn The World. (Co-written by Dennis McCoy.) You can stream it on the usual music platforms & watch the YouTube video here: Don't Burn the World - The Peter May Band - YouTube You can also hear Peter's previous surreal episode involving being hired as a private detective by giant geckos here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/9UHL9sCCPwb Paul Hardisty lives by Australia's Great Barrier Reef. He got there from Canada via a bewildering series of steps through the world's trouble zones, including, in November, Ukraine. As a leading environmental scientist, engineer & lobbyist of politicians, he knows how urgent it is for people to wake up on climate change. We also talk about Amitav Ghosh; resurrecting the book in your drawer that you thought would never get published; The Rig on Amazon Prime; Kate Raworth & Doughnut Economics; & Negeley Farson & The Way of a Transgressor. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul & Steve & our guests. We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we are embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. And if you're still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown, the thriller by Paul Waters or Cockerings, the new comic classic by Stevyn Colgan.

A new study on the Great Barrier Reef found that it did better last year than any year since they started measuring its growth rate!

Welcome to Cairns, Australia and Dr. Mary Travelbest   In this episode: FAQ is: Dr. Travelbest, What are the seven natural wonders of the world? Today's Destination is: Cairns, Australia  Today's Mistake- Leaving my wallet in a taxi Travel Advice:  Avoid single supplements when you travel. FAQ: What are the seven natural wonders of the world? Answer: One will be talked about on this podcast, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, which is located by Cairns. The other six are:   Aurora Borealis (also known as the northern lights) Harbor of Rio de Janeiro. Grand Canyon, USA Mount Everest. Victoria Falls. Parícutin, Mexico volcano   Today's destination: Cairns, Australia It's a city in Queensland, on the tropic north east coast.  The population is about 150,000 plus lots of tourism is happening here. Some of the world's most beautiful diving spots are here, on the Great Barrier Reef.   It's known for agriculture, the port, and now a destination for worldwide travel. The best time to visit is spring or fall, as the tropical rainforest and climate is lovely nearly anytime.    The people here are genuine and really easy to relate to. They are kind and personal and warm. You can meet them where they are and get to know them with a few nice greetings and respect for their surroundings. When I visited, I met several of the locals and they were all helpful and accommodating.    I flew to Cairns from Brisbane, and stayed for about a week before flying to Alice Springs. The Great Barrier Reef was my destination and I enjoyed the boat trips Snorkeling with the turtles and seeing the many Islands.nI'd like  to name all of the nearby islands, but there too many to name. Some islands are not for humans because they are protected. Here are three main ones, where you can spend the night if you want.    https://greatbarrierreef.org/islands/best-islands-to-visit-near-cairns/ Fitzroy Island Green Island Lizard Island Besides the ocean, on land, you'll want to visit the Kuranda Scenic Railway. It's built into the mountain it seems in some areas. It's a train right through a dense rainforest, with steep ravines and picturesque waterfalls within the World Heritage listed Barron Gorge National Park. This 2 hour journey gives a view of Barron Falls, 15 hand carved tunnels, 37 bridges and waterfalls you will love. https://www.kuranda.org/listing/kuranda-scenic-railway Today's Mistake-  Leaving my wallet in a taxi Today's Travel Advice- Avoid solo travel's single supplement fees when you travel    

The Great Barrier Reef is being severely impacted by climate change, but the Australian government is resisting a push to add it to UNESCO's list of endangered World Heritage sites. We discuss why with Richard Leck, World Wildlife Fund Australia's head of oceans and sustainable development; and Lynn Meskell, an expert on how UNESCO functions and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

SpaceTime Series 25 Episode 134*A giant mantle plume identified on MarsA new study suggests the Martian core could still be at least partially molten liquid. The findings reported in the journal Nature Astronomy are based on the detection of what appears to be a deep mantle plume – a region of liquid magma heated by the planet's core and rising towards the surface.*A new technique to study planetary interiorsSeismologists from The Australian National University have developed a new technique showing the Martian core is some 3620 kilometres across – somewhat smaller than the Earth's core.*Mars mega tsunamiA Martian mega tsunami which flooded a vast area of the red planet's northern hemisphere billions of years ago, may have been caused by an ancient asteroid collision similar to the Chicxulub impact on Earth.*The Science ReportPromising results from a Phase 1 clinical trials of a new HIV vaccine.UN calls for the Great Barrier Reef to be placed on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites in danger.Amateur fossil hunters in Queensland have uncovered the remains of a seven metre long Plesiosaur.Skeptics guide Scottish ghosts swearingThe Astronomy, Technology, and Space Science News Podcast. Listen to SpaceTime on your favorite podcast app with our universal listen link: https://spacetimewithstuartgary.com/listen For more SpaceTime and show links: https://linktr.ee/biteszHQ If you love this podcast, please get someone else to listen to. Thank you…To become a SpaceTime supporter and unlock commercial free editions of the show, gain early access and bonus content, please visit https://bitesz.supercast.com/ . Premium version now available via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.For more podcasts visit our HQ at https://bitesz.com #podcast #astronomy #space #science #spacetime #news

The world's largest coral reef is in trouble. Chief Scientist for Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Dr Wachenfeld, talks with Dr Karl about what he is seeing. Twenty five years ago waves of hot water were first measured. They continue with intensity. Will the COP Accords be enough to save our reefs?   gbrmpa.gov.au drkarl.com

Any “Travel to Australia” advertisement on television displays stills of the Great Barrier Reef and pearl white beaches. Volleyball, tank tops, scantily clothed and sizzlingly tanned bodies can be found frolicking around. But on 22nd October 2018, a body was found in one such Australian beach. The difference was, this wasn't a tanned person frolicking around. In fact, this body did not appear to move at all. This is the story of the day that redefined the 'beach' for residents of Queensland, Australia; this is the story of Toyah Cordingley. Follow us on Instagram : @desicrime Follow us on Twitter : @desicrime PLEASE become a Patron Clips From Murder in Paradise, 60 Minutes Australia (5:18 - 5:57)

Earthshot Prize Winners, Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef, NotPla and 44.01!

Disclaimer: Matt has the flu and sounds bad but the show goes on.Matt and Nick talk about a “second summer” of coral bleaching in 2022 for the Great Barrier Reef (Record heat over Great Barrier Reef raises fears of second summer of coral bleaching | Great Barrier Reef | The Guardian),How border walls impact wildlife globally (Fenced In: How the Global Rise of Border Walls Is Stifling Wildlife - Yale E360),A way to neutralize PFAS has been discovered (PFAS chemicals last forever. A Clarkson professor found a way to neutralize them. | NCPR News (northcountrypublicradio.org)),And renewables are set to account for 20% of the US power supply by the end of the year (U.S. Renewable Energy Will Surge Past Coal and Nuclear by Year's End - Scientific American)!Make sure to check out our sponsor for today's episode at Vala Alta and use promo code “TPT” for 15% off.

NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Tuesday that Russia was using winter as a "weapon of war" against Ukraine. Ukraine's allies prepare to send aid to get through the cold months ahead. And, in Colombia, ranchers are experimenting with a new kind of grass in the hopes of building a sustainable cattle farm. Also, as the uprising in Iran enters its third month, dissidents are finding few places to run for safety. Those who have fled to Iran are facing an increasing number of threats online and in person. Plus, the UN and Australia are at odds over the Great Barrier Reef's endangered status. We can't thank you enough for listening to and supporting The World. If you haven't given yet, there is still time! If you donate $100 during our fall drive, you will be personally thanked on this podcast in early 2023. Learn more and give today!

Most conservation organisations mirror corporations in structure, operation, and strategy. But has that been effective? Andy Ridley, founder of Earth Hour and Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, doesn't think so. He's asking how we build the 21st century conservation operation with the citizen at its heart. "The traditional way of doing conservation is 'pass us your money and we'll go and do it.' But we know that hasn't worked at the scale required." Andy is betting on harnessing the power of citizenship -- the rights AND responsibilities of belonging -- to create mass engagement in environmental initiatives. And he's been successful. Andy's Earth Hour concept — which asks everyone with electricity to simultaneously turn off their lights for sixty minutes  to acknowledge the impact of climate change and our ability to influence that change --  is recognised as one of the largest mass participation movements in history, with hundreds of millions of participants around the world.Andy's newest platform is Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, which serves as a way to engage people all around the world in the future of the reef through citizen science. …Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave RastovichSound Engineer: Ben Alexander Soundtrack By: Shannon Sol Carroll Additional music by Wave Brain  - Dave, Neal Purchase Jr. and Christian Barker Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast Waterpeoplepodcast.com

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 7/8: Planetary climate change is surprisingly routine: 7/8: Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds, by Thomas Halliday  https://www.amazon.com/Otherlands-Journeys-Earths-Extinct-Ecosystems/dp/0593132882/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-3114007-6820565?pd_rd_w=q9bMH&content-id=amzn1.sym.6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=861DVHNT17NQGPGYMX3W&pd_rd_wg=cvdIf&pd_rd_r=8d2d61ff-df22-48a6-bc73-b851700178a1&pd_rd_i=0593132882&psc=1 The past is past, but it does leave clues, and Thomas Halliday has used cutting-edge science to decipher them more completely than ever before. In Otherlands, Halliday makes sixteen fossil sites burst to life on the page. This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not. It takes us from the savannahs of Pliocene Kenya to watch a python chase a group of australopithecines into an acacia tree; to a cliff overlooking the salt pans of the empty basin of what will be the Mediterranean Sea just as water from the Miocene Atlantic Ocean spills in; into the tropical forests of Eocene Antarctica; and under the shallow pools of Ediacaran Australia, where we glimpse the first microbial life. Otherlands also offers us a vast perspective on the current state of the planet. The thought that something as vast as the Great Barrier Reef, for example, with all its vibrant diversity, might one day soon be gone sounds improbable. But the fossil record shows us that this sort of wholesale change not only is possible but has repeatedly happened throughout Earth history.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 1/8: Planetary climate change is surprisingly routine: 1/8: Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds, by Thomas Halliday  https://www.amazon.com/Otherlands-Journeys-Earths-Extinct-Ecosystems/dp/0593132882/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-3114007-6820565?pd_rd_w=q9bMH&content-id=amzn1.sym.6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=861DVHNT17NQGPGYMX3W&pd_rd_wg=cvdIf&pd_rd_r=8d2d61ff-df22-48a6-bc73-b851700178a1&pd_rd_i=0593132882&psc=1 The past is past, but it does leave clues, and Thomas Halliday has used cutting-edge science to decipher them more completely than ever before. In Otherlands, Halliday makes sixteen fossil sites burst to life on the page. This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not. It takes us from the savannahs of Pliocene Kenya to watch a python chase a group of australopithecines into an acacia tree; to a cliff overlooking the salt pans of the empty basin of what will be the Mediterranean Sea just as water from the Miocene Atlantic Ocean spills in; into the tropical forests of Eocene Antarctica; and under the shallow pools of Ediacaran Australia, where we glimpse the first microbial life. Otherlands also offers us a vast perspective on the current state of the planet. The thought that something as vast as the Great Barrier Reef, for example, with all its vibrant diversity, might one day soon be gone sounds improbable. But the fossil record shows us that this sort of wholesale change not only is possible but has repeatedly happened throughout Earth history.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 2/8: Planetary climate change is surprisingly routine: 2/8: Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds, by Thomas Halliday  https://www.amazon.com/Otherlands-Journeys-Earths-Extinct-Ecosystems/dp/0593132882/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-3114007-6820565?pd_rd_w=q9bMH&content-id=amzn1.sym.6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=861DVHNT17NQGPGYMX3W&pd_rd_wg=cvdIf&pd_rd_r=8d2d61ff-df22-48a6-bc73-b851700178a1&pd_rd_i=0593132882&psc=1 The past is past, but it does leave clues, and Thomas Halliday has used cutting-edge science to decipher them more completely than ever before. In Otherlands, Halliday makes sixteen fossil sites burst to life on the page. This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not. It takes us from the savannahs of Pliocene Kenya to watch a python chase a group of australopithecines into an acacia tree; to a cliff overlooking the salt pans of the empty basin of what will be the Mediterranean Sea just as water from the Miocene Atlantic Ocean spills in; into the tropical forests of Eocene Antarctica; and under the shallow pools of Ediacaran Australia, where we glimpse the first microbial life. Otherlands also offers us a vast perspective on the current state of the planet. The thought that something as vast as the Great Barrier Reef, for example, with all its vibrant diversity, might one day soon be gone sounds improbable. But the fossil record shows us that this sort of wholesale change not only is possible but has repeatedly happened throughout Earth history.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 3/8: Planetary climate change is surprisingly routine: 3/8: Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds, by Thomas Halliday  https://www.amazon.com/Otherlands-Journeys-Earths-Extinct-Ecosystems/dp/0593132882/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-3114007-6820565?pd_rd_w=q9bMH&content-id=amzn1.sym.6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=861DVHNT17NQGPGYMX3W&pd_rd_wg=cvdIf&pd_rd_r=8d2d61ff-df22-48a6-bc73-b851700178a1&pd_rd_i=0593132882&psc=1 The past is past, but it does leave clues, and Thomas Halliday has used cutting-edge science to decipher them more completely than ever before. In Otherlands, Halliday makes sixteen fossil sites burst to life on the page. This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not. It takes us from the savannahs of Pliocene Kenya to watch a python chase a group of australopithecines into an acacia tree; to a cliff overlooking the salt pans of the empty basin of what will be the Mediterranean Sea just as water from the Miocene Atlantic Ocean spills in; into the tropical forests of Eocene Antarctica; and under the shallow pools of Ediacaran Australia, where we glimpse the first microbial life. Otherlands also offers us a vast perspective on the current state of the planet. The thought that something as vast as the Great Barrier Reef, for example, with all its vibrant diversity, might one day soon be gone sounds improbable. But the fossil record shows us that this sort of wholesale change not only is possible but has repeatedly happened throughout Earth history.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 4/8: Planetary climate change is surprisingly routine: 4/8: Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds, by Thomas Halliday  https://www.amazon.com/Otherlands-Journeys-Earths-Extinct-Ecosystems/dp/0593132882/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-3114007-6820565?pd_rd_w=q9bMH&content-id=amzn1.sym.6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=861DVHNT17NQGPGYMX3W&pd_rd_wg=cvdIf&pd_rd_r=8d2d61ff-df22-48a6-bc73-b851700178a1&pd_rd_i=0593132882&psc=1 The past is past, but it does leave clues, and Thomas Halliday has used cutting-edge science to decipher them more completely than ever before. In Otherlands, Halliday makes sixteen fossil sites burst to life on the page. This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not. It takes us from the savannahs of Pliocene Kenya to watch a python chase a group of australopithecines into an acacia tree; to a cliff overlooking the salt pans of the empty basin of what will be the Mediterranean Sea just as water from the Miocene Atlantic Ocean spills in; into the tropical forests of Eocene Antarctica; and under the shallow pools of Ediacaran Australia, where we glimpse the first microbial life. Otherlands also offers us a vast perspective on the current state of the planet. The thought that something as vast as the Great Barrier Reef, for example, with all its vibrant diversity, might one day soon be gone sounds improbable. But the fossil record shows us that this sort of wholesale change not only is possible but has repeatedly happened throughout Earth history.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 5/8: Planetary climate change is surprisingly routine: 5/8: Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds, by Thomas Halliday  https://www.amazon.com/Otherlands-Journeys-Earths-Extinct-Ecosystems/dp/0593132882/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-3114007-6820565?pd_rd_w=q9bMH&content-id=amzn1.sym.6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=861DVHNT17NQGPGYMX3W&pd_rd_wg=cvdIf&pd_rd_r=8d2d61ff-df22-48a6-bc73-b851700178a1&pd_rd_i=0593132882&psc=1 The past is past, but it does leave clues, and Thomas Halliday has used cutting-edge science to decipher them more completely than ever before. In Otherlands, Halliday makes sixteen fossil sites burst to life on the page. This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not. It takes us from the savannahs of Pliocene Kenya to watch a python chase a group of australopithecines into an acacia tree; to a cliff overlooking the salt pans of the empty basin of what will be the Mediterranean Sea just as water from the Miocene Atlantic Ocean spills in; into the tropical forests of Eocene Antarctica; and under the shallow pools of Ediacaran Australia, where we glimpse the first microbial life. Otherlands also offers us a vast perspective on the current state of the planet. The thought that something as vast as the Great Barrier Reef, for example, with all its vibrant diversity, might one day soon be gone sounds improbable. But the fossil record shows us that this sort of wholesale change not only is possible but has repeatedly happened throughout Earth history.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 6/8: Planetary climate change is surprisingly routine: 6/8: Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds, by Thomas Halliday  https://www.amazon.com/Otherlands-Journeys-Earths-Extinct-Ecosystems/dp/0593132882/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-3114007-6820565?pd_rd_w=q9bMH&content-id=amzn1.sym.6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=861DVHNT17NQGPGYMX3W&pd_rd_wg=cvdIf&pd_rd_r=8d2d61ff-df22-48a6-bc73-b851700178a1&pd_rd_i=0593132882&psc=1 The past is past, but it does leave clues, and Thomas Halliday has used cutting-edge science to decipher them more completely than ever before. In Otherlands, Halliday makes sixteen fossil sites burst to life on the page. This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not. It takes us from the savannahs of Pliocene Kenya to watch a python chase a group of australopithecines into an acacia tree; to a cliff overlooking the salt pans of the empty basin of what will be the Mediterranean Sea just as water from the Miocene Atlantic Ocean spills in; into the tropical forests of Eocene Antarctica; and under the shallow pools of Ediacaran Australia, where we glimpse the first microbial life. Otherlands also offers us a vast perspective on the current state of the planet. The thought that something as vast as the Great Barrier Reef, for example, with all its vibrant diversity, might one day soon be gone sounds improbable. But the fossil record shows us that this sort of wholesale change not only is possible but has repeatedly happened throughout Earth history.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 8/8: Planetary climate change is surprisingly routine: 8/8: Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds, by Thomas Halliday  https://www.amazon.com/Otherlands-Journeys-Earths-Extinct-Ecosystems/dp/0593132882/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-3114007-6820565?pd_rd_w=q9bMH&content-id=amzn1.sym.6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=861DVHNT17NQGPGYMX3W&pd_rd_wg=cvdIf&pd_rd_r=8d2d61ff-df22-48a6-bc73-b851700178a1&pd_rd_i=0593132882&psc=1 The past is past, but it does leave clues, and Thomas Halliday has used cutting-edge science to decipher them more completely than ever before. In Otherlands, Halliday makes sixteen fossil sites burst to life on the page. This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not. It takes us from the savannahs of Pliocene Kenya to watch a python chase a group of australopithecines into an acacia tree; to a cliff overlooking the salt pans of the empty basin of what will be the Mediterranean Sea just as water from the Miocene Atlantic Ocean spills in; into the tropical forests of Eocene Antarctica; and under the shallow pools of Ediacaran Australia, where we glimpse the first microbial life. Otherlands also offers us a vast perspective on the current state of the planet. The thought that something as vast as the Great Barrier Reef, for example, with all its vibrant diversity, might one day soon be gone sounds improbable. But the fossil record shows us that this sort of wholesale change not only is possible but has repeatedly happened throughout Earth history.